Handwheel and guard attachment



y 1932- A. F. O'CONNOR 1,861,226

HANDWHEEL AND GUARD ATTACHMENT Filed April 14, 1931 s MI IIIII/IIII/I/Il/I/ Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR I. O'CONNOR, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO EQUIPMENT SPECIALTIES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01! ILLINOIS HAND'WHEEL AND GUARD ATTACHMENT Application filed April 1 1,

M present invention relates in general to han wheels and has more particular reference to a hand wheel for operating the brake mechanism used in railroad cars.

In braking mechanisms of this character, recent improvements, comprising multiplying levers and multiplying devices, have been incorporated in the braking mechanism to give sufiicient purchase to the hand Wheel so that the maximum desired braking effect may be accomplished by manual operation of the hand wheel and without resort to the use of a club or bar, which was frequently employed in earlier forms of construction for the purpose of increasing the leverage on the hand wheel in setting the brakes. In the earlier constructions, in which the brake applying mechanisms did not afford sufiicient power to apply the brakes by hand operation of the wheel alone, the brakeman increased the leverage of the brake wheel by means of a bar or club inserted between the spokes of the wheel and fulcrumed against the brake shaft on which the wheel is mounted. Increasing the leverage in this fashion in a modern braking mechanism is likely to overstrain the brake and to put more pressure on the brake shoe than is consistent with good practice and frequently results'in breakage or undue wear on the wheels or rails due to locking or sliding the wheels as the result of too excessive braking effect.

An important object of my present invention is to provide cheap and simple guard means adapted for ready attachment on a standard hand wheel whereby the use of a bar or club is prevented while manual manipulation of the wheel is permitted without impediment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive attachment by which to convert an ordinary hand wheel, which permits clubbing of the wheel in applying the brakes, to a form in which the use of a club or bar is substantially prevented.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description, which taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

1981. Serial No. 528,971.

discloses a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective plan view of a common type of hand wheel provided with means embodying my present invention whereby the use of a club or bar in operating the wheel is substantially prevented;

Flgure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 22 in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a partial plan view, showing, 1n perspective, a modified construction embodying my invention;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating an alternate way of forming a portion of the device shown in Figure 4.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown on the drawings a common type of brake hand wheel 11, comprising a hub 13 adapted for connection on a brake shaft (not shown) a rim 15 adapted to be grasped by the brake man in operating the hand wheel and connect- 1ng spokes 17 extending between and interconnecting the rim and the hub. The spokes, hub and rim may be formed with any preferred cross-sectional configuration and may be strengthened by webs 19, which, in the illustrated embodiment, are shown as extending along the back of each spoke around the hub and thence along the front of the next adjacent spoke.

' My present invention does not reside in or depend upon the particular construction of the standard brake hand wheel illustrated but resides in the hand wheel guard herein after mor fully described and in the combination of the guard and hand wheel whereby theclubbing of the wheel in the operation of the brakes may be substantially prevented. By clubbing the wheel, I mean simply the use of a club or bar as means for obtaining an increased leverage in applying the brakes.

In order to prevent clubbing of the wheel, I have provided an attachment comprising a guard or plate 21 having means for connecting the same to the underside of the wheel. The guard or plate 21 is preferably formed as a continuous ring having a central opening lot 23 through which the brake shaft may extend and the outer edge of the late is formed with an annular depending flange 25.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the plate 21 is preferably formed as a sheet of suitable metal such as steel and has a plurality of lugs 27 stuck out from the body of the plate, the plate preferably havin as many lugs 27 as there are spolies in the w eel to which the plate is connected. The lugs are formed in the, plate at spaced intervals corresponding with the spacement of the tated until each lug engages a spoke. The

forwardly bent tips of each lug are then clinched down over the spoke as shown in Figure 2 so that the plate is firmly attached to the wheel. It will be obvious that the plate substantially closes the openings defined by the spokes and the rim of the wheel. The depending eripheral flange of the plate also extends ownwardly beneath the rim of the wheel and prevents the insertion therebetween of a bar or club at such an angle that the lower end of the club could be fulcrumed against the brake shaft. In this way, clubbing of the wheel is substantially prevented, and, at the same time, sufiicient space exists between the peripheral flanged portions of the plate and the rim 15 of the plate so that the brakeman may obtain an unhampered grasp on the rim of the wheel.

In Figures 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings,'I have shown how the plate may be cast from any suitable moldable material. The anticlubbing plate of Figures 3, 4, and 5 is preferabl formed of malleable cast iron, which has t e advantage of cheapness and durability.

In order to attach the plate on the wheel, it is formed alternately with upwardly extending portions 31 and grooves 32 to receive the spokes adjacent the central opening thereof. These portions 31 present inwardly extending downwardly ofiset lips 33, adapted to engage the under edge of the strengthenin flange extending outwardly of the hub in or er to center the plate on the wheel. Each boss 31 is formed with ridges 35 formed in the outer portions of the boss and an upwardly extending pin 37 or nib formed in the boss inwardly of the ridge 35. The plate is at tached to the wheel by assembling it in position with the lips 33 engaging beneath the flange 19 as aforesaid and a separate lug, 39, having a perforation to receive the pin 37, is fastened to the top of the boss with one end held between the ridges 35 and the other extending to overlie the upper surface of the flan e 19 whereby the flange is clam d by and etween the extending portion of th: 1 s and the lips 33. The lugs 39 are or may secured to the plate by riveting the integral pins 37 as indicated in Figure 4 of the drawlngs. The lug being prevented from rotating on the pin 3 held between the ridges 35. v

If desired, the plate may be-provided with a perforation in place of the pin 37 and the by having its outer-most en lug 39 may be fastened to the plate b means of a rivet {l3'extending through the p ate perforation and thelug perforation as indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings.

Both the cast plate and ing peripheral flange which, while ermitting the rim of the wheel to be grasped or manual manipulation, prevents the insertion of the club or bar at such an angle that the inner end of the club can be fulcrumed against the brake shaft on which the wheel is mounted, thus preventing clubbing of the wheel. By this simple attachment, existing standard wheels may be quickly and easily, and, what is more the sheet metal- ;plate of Figures 1, 2 and 3 have the dependimportant, cheaply conditioned to substantially prevent the use of the club or bar in the operation of the braking mechanism.

I also propose, if desired, to extend the disc 21 outwardly so as to terminate opposite the rim 15 of the wheel in order to entirely close up the space between the spokes and leaving It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form hereinbefore described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, an annular guard adapted for attachment to the wheel to substantially cover the openings between the spokes, and fastening means comprising lugs for connecting the guard to the wheel.

2. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, a guard adapted to substantially cover the opening between the spokes and the rim of the wheel, and fingers formed in the guard and adapted to cooperate with the wheel for securing the guard to the wheel whereb to prevent the insertion of a bar through the opening defined by the spokes and the rim of the wheel in such a position that the end of the bar may be fulcrumed againstthe rim of the shaft on which the wheel is mounted.

3. In combination with a hand Wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, a separately formed guard member adapted to cover the openings between the spokes and fastening means for connecting the guard member to the wheel, said fastening means comprising a piece offset from the body of the plate and adapted to abut against a wheel portion and a clinched or crimped portion whereby the guard member may be loekingly secured to the wheel.

4. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, an annular guard member adapted to underlie the spokes and fastening means for connecting the guard member to the wheel, said fastening means comprising struckout portions of the guard member forming tongues adapted to wrap about the spokes of the wheel to secure the guard member in operative position on the wheel.

5. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, an annular guard member adapted to underlie the spokes and fastening means for connecting the guard member to the wheel, said fastening means comprising a lug adapted to lockingly engage a portion of the wheel and means fastening the lug to the guard member.

6. In combination with a hand wheel comprising a rim, a hub, spaced spokes connecting the rim with the hub and providing openings between the spokes and the rim, a guard member located behind the wheel in position to substantially cover the central portions of the openings while leaving a small space adjacent the rim of the wheel suflicient to permit said rim to be manually grasped and means comprising a portion carried by the, guard member and a shiftable portion adapted to form holding engagement with the wheel to fasten the guard member in position on the wheel.

7. In combination with a hand wheel comprising a rim, a hub, spaced spokes connecting the rim with the hub and providing openings between the spokes and the rim, a guard located behind the wheel in position to substantially cover the central portions of the openings while leaving a small space adjacent the rim of the wheel sutficient to permit said rim to be manually grasped and means to fasten the guard in osition on the wheel, said guard and wheel eing separate- 1y formed and said fastening means comprising an offset portion formed in said guard and means to lockingly secure said ofl'set portion against the wheel.

8. In combination-with a hand wheel comprising a rim, a hub, spaced spokes connecting the rim with the hub and providing openings between the spokes and the rim, a guard member located behind the wheel in position to substantially cover the central portidns of the openings while leaving a small space adjacent the rim of the wheel suflicient to permit said rim to be manually grasped and means to fasten the guard member in position on the wheel, said wheel and guard member being separately formed and said fastening means comprising an offset portion formed in the guard member and adapted to abut a wheel portion to align the guard member with respect to the wheel and means carried by said offset portion for interlockingly securing the offset portion in engagement with its abutting wheel portion.

9. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim, a hub and spaced spokes connecting the rim and hub and affording openings between the spokes, a separately formed guard located behind and fastened to the underside of the wheel whereby to substantially cover internal portions of said openings, the peripheral portions of said guard being spaced from the rim to permit same to be readily grasped for manipulation of the hand wheel, and means co-operating with said guard and extending to and detachably co-operating with said wheel for the purpose of holding the guard on the wheel.

10. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim, a hub and spaced spokes connecting the rim and hub and affording openings between the spokes, a separately formed guard located behind and fastened to the underside of the wheel whereby to substan tially cover internal portions of said openings, the peripheral portions of said guard being spaced from the rim to permit same to be readily grasped for manipulation of the hand wheel, and fastening means comprising means formed and arranged in said plate and extending to and co-operating with the wheel to secure the guard to the wheel.

11. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, a separately formed guard attached to the wheel in position to cover the wheel openings between the spokes and means carried by the guard and adapted to co-operate with the wheel for the purpose of fastening the guard to the wheel.

12. In combination with a hand wheel hav-,

ing a rim and spaced spokes, a guard attached to the wheel in position to cover the openings between the wheel spokes, said guard having a flange spaced from the rim of the wheel and formed to permit grasping by an operator in manipulating the wheel and means carried by the guard and adapted to co-operate with the wheel for the purpose of U fastening the guard to the wheel.

13. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, a guard attached to the wheel in position to cover the openings between the wheel spokes and means a formed in said guard to facilitate manual manipulation thereof by grippin said formed means and means carried %y the guard and adapted to co-operate with the wheel for the purpose of fastening the guard to the wheel. I

14. In combination with a hand wheel having a rim and spaced spokes, a guard attached to the wheel in position to cover the openings between the wheel spokes, said .9 guard having a depending flange spaced from the rim of the wheel and means carried by the guard and adapted to co-operate with the wheel for the purpose of fastening the guard to the wheel.

a 15. As an article of manufacture for use as an anti-clubbing attachment for hand wheel's, a separately formed guard member comprising a plate-connectible to the wheel in position to cover the openings thereof anda means carried by the guard and ada ted to co-operate with the wheel spokes for t e purpose of fastening the guard to the wheel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' ARTHUR F. OCONNOR. 

